It's become something of a scapegoat for Hollywood's current love affair with loud, effects-reliant, mostly soulless tentpole pictures, but CGI spectacle isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's only when filmmakers use it to try and distract from under-developed ideas that it ends up feeling hollow; like any tool, it's only as effective as its user allows it to be.

We are well on our way into this year’s batch of super-hyped summer releases—this week introduces one of the year’s bigger, more highly-anticipated titles. This week gives us a sequel to one of the greatest nerd franchises of all time—from the mind of J.J. Abrams, a man rapidly gaining esteem in the eyes of geeks everywhere, coming out this week is Star Trek:

According to Vin Diesel, the seventh Fast & Furious movie will kick off a new trilogy, taking the series in a new direction. The next two movies after 7 have not been given the greenlight, but if the seventh one does well, it won't be too long before we'll be seeing number 8 and 9 in theaters.

Johnny Depp has found his co-conspirator in the mob thriller Black Mass, Deadline has learned. Joel Edgerton is joining the movie as FBI agent John Connolly, who helps Depp's Whitey Bulger's Boston gang in clearing out the local competition. Barry Levinson is directing.

Riddick didn't get where he is by being a relaxed, friendly, happy-go-lucky guy, so it should come as something of a relief to fans of the Vin Diesel-portrayed sci-fi antihero that his next outing -- the simply titled and long-promised Riddick -- will find the character doing exactly what he does best: